Netflix has quietly removed one of its most convenient features: the ability to cast movies and shows directly from the mobile app to most TVs and streaming devices. After weeks of users noticing the disappearance of the Cast icon, Netflix has updated its support pages to confirm the change — and it affects nearly every modern device built around Google TV or Chromecast integrations.
According to the updated guidance, mobile casting is now unsupported on “most TVs and TV-streaming devices.” That includes Chromecast with Google TV, Google TV Streamers and the majority of televisions with Google TV built in. In practical terms, Netflix is pushing viewers to use the native Netflix app on their television rather than controlling playback from their phone.
The decision applies across all subscription tiers, including premium ad-free plans. Earlier in the year, only the Standard with ads tier blocked casting, but the new rules standardize the restriction regardless of plan. The only remaining exceptions are older, traditional Chromecast devices — the classic puck models without a remote — and a short list of TVs from Vizio and Compal that still rely on legacy Google Cast implementations. Google’s Nest Hub smart displays continue to support casting as well. These devices will still show up in the Cast menu, but only for subscribers on non-ad-supported plans.
Reports from Reddit users line up with the policy change: older Chromecast pucks still appear as castable targets, while newer Google TV hardware has vanished entirely from the Netflix app. Chromecast with Google TV, once positioned as a natural partner for mobile casting, is no longer supported.
The shift suggests Netflix’s priorities have moved firmly toward native app engagement rather than phone-based casting — a design that aligns with how many modern streaming platforms prefer users to interact with their service. But it also fractures a long-established workflow, especially for viewers accustomed to browsing on their phone and launching content to the nearest screen with a single tap.
For now, anyone wanting to cast Netflix from their phone will need to rely on aging Chromecast hardware or accept the new norm: using the TV’s remote and navigating directly inside the Netflix app, even if that feels like a step backward from the simplicity of mobile casting.
